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            <h1>Christian Droulers</h1>
            <h2>Agile and flexible programmer</h2>
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            <h2>Confrontation</h2>

<p>‒ What were you thinking?</p>

<p>The man finally opened his eyes.</p>

<p>‒ I don’t know, he said, At that particular moment, I felt like I could do
anything.</p>

<p>‒ No second thoughts at all? the other one replied.</p>

<p>‒ Not really, I was just thinking about random things and suddenly, when I
looked at the rails, I believed I could make it to the other side.</p>

<p>‒ And you tried?</p>

<p>‒ I guess so, why would I have landed here if not for that. You should know.</p>

<p>A soft joyful laughter echoed all around the man.</p>

<p>‒ Oh yes, I probably do. But you know, until today, you had never shown any
signs of difference from the others. You were just a guy, living his life, on
the way to a great career... and now, you are here.</p>

<p>‒ Guess so. I was never a black sheep, I had different beliefs, but never had
the guts to actually expose them to the world. People disgust me with their
“society” and following the main stream. It seems that the only way to survive
is to be one of “them”. I didn’t want that. I wanted to be different, but
everything about myself was contradictory. Because of that, I just stayed at the
same level, waiting for providence to give me what I wanted. I think I finally
found my miracle, and it got me here. I think that, today, I did what I did to
confront them, all of them.</p>

<p>‒ Them?</p>

<p>‒ Society, Humanity, You, everyone. But surely you already knew about all
this.</p>

<p>The loud laughter came again.</p>

<p>‒ Oh, I am not <em>that</em> different from you, I can’t really hear thoughts
and emotions, all I can do is hear and see, much alike you. I only see and hear
more.</p>

<p>‒ I’ve always had that little fright of the unknown, like everyone else. I
was scared of what became of us when we weren’t anymore. But here, I feel safe,
I feel free and you are one awesome guy to talk with.</p>

<p>‒ Well thank you, kind sir. You are a pretty nice person yourself. I did not
expect such sympathy in here, usually, people are unhappy, often very mad when
the get here. They, most of the time, start bitching at me, swearing, cussing,
crying, screaming out a plea to get back where they came from. Everyone sees
here a different way, but it seems that they never question my presence. As if
all expected someone like me to talk to them here.</p>

<p>‒ I think everyone must. Even those who say they believe in nothing have to
expect something . I’ve always believed something was calling to me, that
something wanted me back, that I had to actually come here to be whole again. I
never quite understood that feeling. But now, I believe it was you, wasn’t it?</p>

<p>Another laughter gently echoed into the whiteness.</p>

<p>‒ Yes, I need your energy to be who I am, that is why you can hear me crying
to you. It hurts to be alone, and each of you is a part of me. The only way I
can be whole is when you decide to come back to me. And trust me, I have never
pushed anyone to come back here, it is always your own doing that guides you.</p>

<p>‒ Oh, I don’t doubt it, and I surely don’t regret it either. I can still feel
it, the exhilaration, the power, the adrenaline rush I had at that moment. I
felt utterly invincible. I took two quick steps forward, launched myself as high
and far as possible and I landed here, eyes closed, smile on my lips. I didn’t
open them right away.</p>

<p>‒ I know, I think you stood there for a couple of hours.</p>

<p>‒ Yes, I did not know if I was on the other side, and frankly, I didn’t want
to know. When I finally did open them, you were there, looking at me, with this
heartwarming smile on your face. Has anyone ever told you that you have the
nicest smile in the world?</p>

<p>‒ No, actually not. In the millions of people I have seen here, none have
been nice to me. As I’ve said before, they prefer bitching and screaming. I also
couldn’t stop smiling while I looked at you. I couldn’t believe you would
actually stay still for hours like that, just because of that small moment in
your life. I had never seen anyone who could project a relaxing aura such as
yours. I wish more of the people that come here would be like you.</p>

<p>‒ Keep dreaming. Humanity is only getting worse. The planet is on the brink
of destruction and they still try to “save” it. But they only wish to make their
own kind survive. That disgusts me. I just can’t understand that their ultimate
life goal is to live on “forever” through their genetic legacy. They wish that
humankind lives longer and longer, without a specific thought about it. What a
futile way of living, don’t you think?</p>

<p>‒ I do not know, I am not born and I shall not die. Living is an
uncomprehensible thing to me. What I know is that I just hate seeing humanity
destroying what they are given so easily at birth for no real reason. I guess I
will start over later, after all of you have come through here.</p>

<p>‒ Will the planet not heal?</p>

<p>‒ Of course, it can easily heal, but the problem is that not a whole lot will
survive on it, and without any bodies to share its energy with, the planet will
simply die.</p>

<p>‒ Which means that the planet is also alive? Just like us?</p>

<p>‒ In a way. How would you define life?</p>

<p>‒ That’s a good question. I have never pondered over it. But I can guess it
has something to do with energy flow, as you’ve just mentioned.</p>

<p>‒ Yes. Life is simply a flow of energy that courses through every being,
giving them the power to move, think, talk, feel. Live.</p>

<p>‒ Oh I see, so this is what makes us act, it is, in a way, what some call a
soul.</p>

<p>‒ If you want to see it like that, it is nothing more than it can be, call it
what you will, it doesn’t change its purpose. So, energy courses through beings,
and when one dies, the energy flow is interrupted in a place, usually, the
energy goes back to the planet, and it is redistributed elsewhere. But with
Humanity, there will be almost nothing alive after their extinction, so the
planet will have almost nothing to share its energy with, causing it to die.
There’s nothing more to it. You might have noticed that the planets around the
sun are all dead except for Earth, for it is the only one that can share its
energy.</p>

<p>There was a long silence, One was thinking about what had just been said,
spinning the ideas on their every side, while the other was just observing the
first one, marvelling at his own creation, the genius of it, the power he
bestowed upon it, the backfire it had...</p>

<p>‒ Alright, let’s go, said the first one.</p>

<p>‒ What? Go where?</p>

<p>‒ To wherever it is that I go after here, I’m not staying to chat here for
the rest of eternity, am I?</p>

<p>‒ You do not wish to ask more questions?</p>

<p>‒ No, I know that my king has wrought destruction upon more than itself and I
do not wish to be conscious of that anymore. I do not want to know who I am, nor
what I was part of. Isn’t it what death is all about?</p>

<p>‒ Oh... you just have to go through that.</p>

<p>The man snapped his fingers and a gigantic black iron double door appeared in
a cloud of white smoke.</p>

<p>‒ But I thought we could discuss more before you went, he continued.</p>

<p>‒ Well, just too bad for you. I have nothing more to say, nor to ask.</p>

<p>‒ Okay, just step through the door. I am very happy to have had this
conversation with you.</p>

<p>‒ Same here, will we meet again?</p>

<p>‒ In your next life, or after it, to be precise. But I don’t think you’ll
recognize me.</p>

<p>‒ Alright, goodbye.</p>

<p>The man pushed the door and walked into the void beyond it.</p>

<p>‒ See you never, friend.</p>

<p>And as he disappeared, a young woman stepped in, looking like she was pushed
through an invisible wall that led into and infinite white void.</p>

<p>‒ Hello, the man said.</p>

<p>‒ What? Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here? she said, with her
voice shaking in fear and anger.</p>

<p>‒ You know very well where you are.</p>

<p>“And it goes on forever...” he thought.</p>

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